PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,819 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 453.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-9980XE.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980XE across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 22,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).

Core i9-9980XE

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.0% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅175% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-9980XE

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,819 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Delivers 453.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 14.7 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,979 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-9980XE.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.0% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅175% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9980XE across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 22,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.7 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,979 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9980XE better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i9-9980XE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 70.0% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 168.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 123.6% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9980XE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 70.0% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9980XE is the better fit. You are getting 168.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i9-9980XE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-9980XE is 1136.9% more expensive on MSRP at $1,979 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 70.0% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 453.3% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 14.7 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Core i9-9980XE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
1080p
low	192 FPS	168 FPS
medium	152 FPS	148 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	119 FPS	120 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	76 FPS
medium	70 FPS	70 FPS
high	55 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9980XE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
1080p
low	326 FPS	498 FPS
medium	318 FPS	429 FPS
high	290 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	335 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	292 FPS	377 FPS
high	267 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	286 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	268 FPS
medium	258 FPS	234 FPS
high	235 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9980XE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
1080p
low	326 FPS	728 FPS
medium	326 FPS	728 FPS
high	326 FPS	728 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	645 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	728 FPS
medium	326 FPS	659 FPS
high	326 FPS	624 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	554 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	492 FPS
medium	326 FPS	414 FPS
high	289 FPS	371 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9980XE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
1080p
low	326 FPS	728 FPS
medium	326 FPS	728 FPS
high	326 FPS	728 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	679 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	728 FPS
medium	326 FPS	728 FPS
high	326 FPS	639 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	558 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	581 FPS
medium	326 FPS	525 FPS
high	326 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	409 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9980XE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-9980XE

Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-10400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,029 points. Launch price was $155.

Core i9-9980XE

The Core i9-9980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 29,127 points. Launch price was $1,979.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-9980XE offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Core i9-9980XE has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9980XE — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980XE (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-9980XE uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-9980XE's 29,127 — a 76.4% lead for the Core i9-9980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 22,000 (91.5% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,459, a 0.3% lead for the Core i9-9980XE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 12,177 (71.2% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24.75 MB (total)+106%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,029	29,127+124%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	22,000+169%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,459
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	12,177+111%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-9980XE uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Core i9-9980XE). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 44 (Core i9-9980XE) — the Core i9-9980XE offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and X299 (Core i9-9980XE).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	44+175%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-9980XE has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i9-9980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i9-9980XE targets HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i9-9980XE rivals Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9980XE
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i9-9980XE debuted at $1979. On MSRP ($160 vs $1979), the Core i5-10400F is $1819 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 14.7 pts/$ for the Core i9-9980XE — making the Core i5-10400F the 138.8% better value option.